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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27869818">Close Encounters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotvegetasoup/pseuds/hotvegetasoup'>hotvegetasoup</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Ball</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bulma Briefs/Vegeta Fluff, Bulma Briefs/Vegeta Smut, Capsule Corporation, Cell Games Saga, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Three Year Gap (Dragon Ball), Vegeta is Bad at Feelings (Dragon Ball), close encounters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:41:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27869818</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotvegetasoup/pseuds/hotvegetasoup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In Dragon Ball Z, during the “3 Year Gap”, Vegeta was living at Capsule Corp. with Bulma Briefs. Over time, they slowly get to know each other, and tension begins to build between them in a series of “close encounters”. Bulma begins to unravel the complex Saiyan prince’s past, and Vegeta begins to open up to somebody for the first time in his life. The pair's infatuation with each other begins to burn, and they slowly begin to get under each other's skin. <br/>This fic is to explore the complex relationship between Vegeta and Bulma and how the two go from quiet room mates to passionate lovers.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bulma Briefs &amp; Vegeta, Bulma Briefs/Vegeta</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>107</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Early Morning Stir-Fry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Close Encounters</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By hotvegetasoup</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Chapter 1 </em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I will win...I must win. There is no other option,” </span>
  </em>
  <span> Vegeta repeated these words in his mind as he trained relentlessly. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>No other option…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had been on Earth for a while now. Days on this planet were so different, he had lost track on exactly how long it had been. That strange Earthling woman from back on Namek had, for reasons Vegeta couldn’t decipher, allowed him to stay in her home base. When he had first arrived, he was resentful, as he felt it was some kind of cruel and unusual punishment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Then again, his </span>
  <em>
    <span>whole life</span>
  </em>
  <span> had been a series of cruel and unusual punishments. First, being torn away from his people and turned into a child soldier. Second, losing his planet and his entire race in one day. Then, being forced to serve the very creature that did it. THEN getting killed by Freiza himself, only to be resurrected by the Dragon Balls and forced to watch from the side lines as Kakarot stole his revenge from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, all he had was his title. Prince Vegeta. The Prince of all Saiyans. The Prince of...a destroyed planet. A wiped out race. On top of that he was effectively homeless, with no other option but to stay with the squawking Earth woman that was allied with Kakarot of all people! Yes, he remembered that day perfectly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“What about you? Hey, homeboy! You’re going to need a place to crash too.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Unwind a little and see what life has to offer you. You’re actually kind of cute...haha!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Tch…” Vegeta let out one final blow, then wiped the sweat from his brow. “Ridiculous woman...</span>
  <em>
    <span>cute</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” he spat. “The Prince of all Saiyans. Cute.” He would never admit it outloud, but his resentment of the Earth woman was fading, and he couldn’t help but be grateful to her. She’s offered him clean clothing, his own room, a place to train, and access to their food supply. It honestly was the nicest anyone had been to him...ever, in his entire life. For that he couldn’t help but be a little grateful….but he chose to keep that to himself. She would occasionally attempt to conversate with him, but he usually just kept to himself. To be honest, he wasn’t entirely sure what he would say. Bulma....what a strange creature.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>*grrrrrrrrg…*</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His stomach began to growl. He had been training nonstop for what must have been hours. Time to find something to eat. Vegeta exited his training space and made his way into his living quarters in Capsule Corp. He changed out of his training gear into some sweat pants and a tank top the Earth woman had provided for him. As he pulled the gloves from his hands, his knuckles stung slightly. They were sore from the abuse he had put them through during his training. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Pain is weakness leaving your body. You must train until there is none left.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A true Saiyan warrior would have no issues with this pain. He took a small towel and wiped his face clean, then slung it around his neck. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Then again, a true Saiyan warrior also had a tail,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Vegeta thought and he sighed. He glanced over his shoulder. He really did miss his tail...damn Kakarot and his blasted friends. He left his room and started towards the kitchen. He got lost thinking about the loss of his elegant tail when he began to smell something...lovely. He rounded the corner to the kitchen area, Bulma bumped into him, dropping the spatula from her hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wahh!!” She let out a startled screech. With his superior Saiyan reflexes, Vegeta quickly caught the utensil before it hit the ground. Bulma stood there, speechless for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, you’re fast!” she gasped. Since they were basically roommates, Bulma was used to running into Vegeta every now and then, just not so literally. She was honestly surprised that she ran into him here, considering how late it was. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Has he really been training this whole time? Does this guy ever sleep? I wonder if he’s jetlagged or something…”</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>Since the Nemekians found a new planet, it’s been awfully quiet around Capsule Corp. Bulma tried to stay busy working on updating new equipment and inventions, but it just wasn’t the same without the little green kiddos running around, peeking over her shoulder. She looked up from the spatula Vegeta was holding, and across at the Saiyan’s face. She and Vegeta haven’t really been in this close proximity before...it’s true she already thought he was cute, but up close he looks much more...manly? Stoic? She couldn’t really pinpoint the right word. She had never really noticed until now, but the pair were about the same height. She always thought he was taller than her. Her only reference on Saiyan height was Goku, and he was a lot taller than her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Guess his hair sorta adds to the illusion…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She pondered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta cleared his throat and handed her the spatula. There was a long pause before either of them spoke. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How was your train…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two spoke at the same time, and stopped just as quickly. The awkward air space was enough to make Bulma blush. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>*Grrrrrrg*</span>
  </em>
  <span> Vegeta’s stomach’s growling eventually broke the silence. Bulma’s eyes lit up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you hungry? I was just cooking some grub. I can make you a plate if you’d like.” She smiled at him and turned back towards the stove. Vegeta smiled slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A warrior is always hungry after his training.” Vegeta stated. He sat down at the bar and leaned back in his chair. Bulma looked over her shoulder at him and giggled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll take that as a yes! It’ll just be a few more minutes. Hope you like stir-fry!” She smiled as she turned back to the stove once more. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stir...fry. Is this Earth food different from a french fry?” The prince queried. Bulma snorted as she pushed the vegetables around in the pan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Haha, good one!” she laughed. Vegeta brought his eyebrows together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh...a-are you serious? You don’t even know what stir-fry is? What kind of stuff did they feed you back in space?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta’s face softened slightly. “Well that depends on if we were on the ship or landed on a planet. The ship usually just had powdered rations. Disgusting, but efficient, and necessary to keep the soldiers in top shape. When we were on the surface, we would sometimes hunt down some meat and eat that. It didn’t normally smell so... what do you call it...spicy?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess I’m not surprised a bunch of aliens don’t know anything about cooking. I’m honestly not that great of a cook myself. This is just something I know is quick and easy.” Bulma scraped the food onto two different plates. She placed the plate in front of the Saiyan, and handed him a set of chopsticks. She sat down at the bar next to him, and began to eat her dish. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <span>いただきます!</span>
  <span>” Bulma began scarfing down her food. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta looked down at his meal. It smelled...really good. He had enjoyed most Earth food he was served, but it was mostly prepared by the Earth woman’s mother. This was the first time he was eating something prepared by one of Kakarot’s direct allies. He sighed, and picked up his chopsticks. He glanced over in Bulma’s direction. She was still busy eating her food, maybe she wouldn’t notice that he hasn’t gotten the hang of using these blasted sticks to eat with. He was too proud to go get a fork or a spoon. Would eating with his hands be too barbaric? She cocked her head in his direction and smiled at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the matter, not hungry anymore? I thought a true warrior was always hungry after training.” She winked at him and took another bite. He studied the way she held the sticks in her hand. She did it so effortlessly...he would not fail. He attempted to hold his sticks in the same position she did, and tried to pick up some of the food. He got a slight grip on some chicken, and began to lift it towards his mouth when it dropped back down to his plate. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck! Blasted things!” He shouted, slamming an angry fist on the bar. Bulma jumped in her seat, then started to laugh. Vegeta held his head high, he was ashamed he had lost his cool in front of her, but he would not accept defeat that easily. He tried again to pick up some food, but just couldn’t get a grip.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Want me to show you how?” Bulma asked, picking up a piece from his plate and eating it. He let out a low growl, instinctively territorial over his food. She wasn’t threatened though, and just winked at him. “It’s not so hard, I promise!” She scooted her chair slightly closer to him. Their thighs were nearly touching, there was a slight sting of electricity between them. Vegeta flinched instinctively, but tried to relax himself. He did want to conquer the stick utensils. Perhaps learning from a local would be useful. He nodded, and she grinned at him. Bulma reached out and carefully pulled Vegeta’s hand into hers, and positioned his fingers to where he could properly hold the chopsticks. Her skin was soft against his callused hands. She pulled away and picked her sticks off the table. She tapped them together and smiled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See, you use this finger to hold this one still, and these ones to move the other!” She picked up another vegetable off her plate. “I know you can do it, give it a try!” He looked at her skeptically and attempted to make the grabbing motion, but his hand felt stiff. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dammit, why would you creatures voluntarily use these blasted things to eat with? This is extremely inefficient. Too much of your brain power goes into using this, you’d be completely vulnerable to attacks,” Vegeta frustratingly grumbled. Bulma giggled, and set her chopsticks down. She leaned in closer to the Saiyan, fully closing the gap between them. Her thigh touched his, and the electricity began to buzz even stronger. She leaned into him, her hair close enough for him to smell. For some strange reason, Vegeta decided to inhale gently, and caught her scent. It was...pleasant. He took a mental note of this aroma. He could feel his heartbeat increase just slightly. But why? That’s a strange reaction...she clearly wasn’t attempting to steal his food, and she wasn’t attempting an attack. Perhaps it was just his Saiyan instincts causing this reaction. He paused while Bulma grabbed his hand once more. </span>
</p>
<p><span>She gently wrapped her hand around his, pushing his fingers into the correct position. In doing this, she felt his calluses. His skin was so rough...he must have been fighting his entire life. She felt slightly sad for him. His color was slightly tanner than hers, almost a golden shade of brown. His hands were angular, and strong. She felt him stiffen slightly in his chair as she leaned in. Was she making him nervous? He really was cute. “</span><em><span>I guess princes from all over the universe are handsome…” </span></em><span>Bulma thought to herself.</span> <span>She gripped his hand ever so slightly…</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta’s heartbeat increased even more. He could feel her thigh pushing into his...the electricity was going wild. He inhaled again, catching another whiff of her scent. It was...sweet. As she tightened her grip on his hand, the electricity felt like it shocked him. No female had ever attempted to get this close to him before. He had never allowed one this close before either...but something about this Earth woman was different. Perhaps it was her kindness towards him, maybe he felt indebted to her; he wasn’t sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She fully leaned into him, and rested her other hand on his thigh. She glanced down at his bicep, which was in between them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“God damn, he’s ripped! I guess all that training pays off…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bulma pondered to herself. As she tightened her grip over his hand, he couldn’t take the electricity any longer. Vegeta quickly stood up out of his chair--his chopsticks falling to the floor with a loud clatter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the--” Bulma gasped. She began to question him when he picked up his plate and walked back down the hall where he came from.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll finish this in my quarters…” he called out behind him, grabbing a fork upon his exit. Bulma stared quietly after him, and she smiled to herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What a dork,” she whispered. She glanced up at the kitchen clock: 1:45am. She took a mental note of the time. Maybe she’ll make finger foods tomorrow night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Vegeta entered his room, he closed the door loudly behind him. He let out a large sigh, then groaned to himself, “What an embarrassment! Allowing that human that close to me. I will not lower my guard around her again...” He looked down at his plate. He walked over to the desk in his room, and sat down. “That woman…what was she thinking. I could kill her in two seconds. That damn woman...Bulma.” He looked down at the plate of food in front of him. As the steam rose off of it, his stomach growled again. Vegeta then looked at the fork he held in his hand, and let out one last sigh. He finally took a bite from his plate. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was delicious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Chapter 1 End</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Build Your Own Soft Tacos</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After another long night of training, Vegeta is met by Bulma once again. She's secretly planned to get to know him, and was as determined as ever.The two share a meal and get a little bit closer to one another.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter 2- Build Your Own Soft Tacos</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was just about 1:15AM when Bulma finally settled on what to make for Vegeta that night. She wasn’t sure what it was about him, but she wanted to get to know Vegeta. Maybe it was all the romance novels she read when she was a teenager, or maybe it was because of the sparks she felt the night before when she ran into him unexpectedly. Whatever it was, it was enough for her to decide to get to know the Prince of all Saiyans. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It felt strange at first, having Vegeta as a roommate. He was always very intense, so she didn’t particularly like to approach him, but she was stubborn, and wasn’t going to let some space man push her around in her own house. Goku had apparently begged Krillin to spare Vegeta’s life when they first defeated him on Earth. It felt like such a distant memory now. She was sure he would have killed her considering he was responsible for her then boyfriend, Yamucha’s death back then. Her and Yamucha eventually ended up breaking it off anyways. Bulma furrowed her brow as she wrote down everything she needed for her recipe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That Yamucha…” she grumbled. After everything she went through to bring him back to life, he still went and broke her heart. Bulma shook her head. She didn’t need Yamucha anymore, anyways.  She stood up and left her room and walked down the hall and to a certain window. She peeked outside, and could see Vegeta in his training area (which was just an empty spot on the lawn behind Capsule Corp). He rarely left Capsule Corp these days, only here and there. She wasn’t really sure where he was going, but figured it wasn’t really her business anyways. Maybe he was flying off and fighting crime as a vigilante of justice. That would be so cool...but not really Vegeta’s style. That was more like the characters in the graphic novels she used to read. Bulma snapped out of her daydream, and saw that he began making his way back inside. She gasped, and ran back to the kitchen. She had dinner plans. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta made his way inside, and changed out of his training gear. He was pleased with his progress today, but he felt like he was coming to a plateau. He heard from the Earthlings that Kakarot was training in 100x the Earth’s gravity when preparing to fight Freiza. There’s no way he’d be able to achieve Super Saiyan here on Earth. The only way he’d ever surpass Kakarot would be to train in the same conditions. Unfortunately, Dr. Briefs’ ship wasn’t operational at the moment, so he had nowhere else he could go. He noticed his armor was beginning to really show signs of wear. It probably won’t hold up much longer. Another cruel punishment, forcing him to be weaker. He kicked the armor off to the side and began towards the kitchen. He had trained hard today, after all. Might as well eat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bulma was still cutting vegetables when Vegeta rounded the corner to the kitchen. She turned towards him and smiled warmly when they made eye contact. Vegeta’s face stayed stoic as ever, his brow furrowing slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is this? Are you following me, woman?” he asked, suspiciously. She put the knife down and crossed her arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not very nice! How could I be following you if I was in here cooking?” She frowned at the Saiyan prince. He scoffed, and opened the refrigerator. He looked around at the shelves but didn’t see anything particularly appealing. He peered around the fridge door and looked at the Earth woman, who had returned to chopping. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked her up and down. She was so fragile looking. Well, at least compared to his superior Saiyan genes. She was meatier in certain...areas, but overall not very muscular. Her blue hair was most fascinating to him. He had never seen a humanoid with such a peculiar color of mane before. Her complexion was also strange to him. So pale...from what he could remember from yesterday, it was also soft. Not very good for fending off enemies. Despite her genetic insuperiority, he could not say she was entirely foul. She was actually quite nice looking. He looked down. Humans couldn’t grow tails. He almost felt bad for her, for a moment. She turned her head slightly towards him and he quickly looked back into the fridge.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Were you staring at my butt?” she giggled. He cleared his throat loudly, and quickly retorted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not! I was actually thinking about how pathetic your race is, not even having tails.” He scoffed and closed the fridge after grabbing a beer. This Earth beverage was one of his favorites. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t exactly have one either,” she pouted, turning back towards the food she was preparing. She moved on to putting ground beef into a pan, and throwing strange smelling spices all over it. The meat sizzled while they stood there in silence. He sipped on his beverage, but didn’t leave. Eventually, Bulma sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, anyways, I was hoping you were hungry. I’m making soft tacos. No utensils required,” she gave him a wink and pushed the meat around as it browned. “It’ll be ready in a few minutes if you wanna have some.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta stood still for a moment, but eventually sat down at the end of the bar. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> hungry, and he did enjoy her cooking from the night before. It didn’t kill him then, so it wouldn’t kill him to try another meal from the Earth woman. He took another drink from his bottle, and inhaled. The scent was new, he had never smelled anything like it before. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was looking forward to trying some of these “soft tacos.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Not exactly how I pictured it but at least he sat down…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Bulma thought to herself. She quietly finished the meal and turned around, presenting what she had prepared. “Alright, finished! Come and build your taco!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Build...my taco?” the Saiyan questioned. This was certainly new.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, lazy, I’m not going to plate your food for you every time. Now get over here,” She gestured for him to come to her. He grunted, but complied. Bulma built her taco, and Vegeta copied her servings, twice as many. They both then walked back to the bar together and quietly began eating. After a moment, Bulma cleared her throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, what do you think?” she questioned. He looked up from his food, and saw her leaning in, eagerly waiting for a reply. He noticed her eyes were a rather striking shade of blue, almost the same as her hair. He noticed her hair was pulled back out of her face, and tied into a slightly messy ball on her head. Her cheeks were round, and had a slight blush to them. On the surface of her skin were tiny speckles, just ever so slightly darker than the rest of her. What a strange pattern, he had never seen it on an Earthling before. She batted her eyelashes again, waiting for his reply. He swallowed and looked back down at his plate, which he was half way finished with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“These flavors are interesting. They burn my mouth slightly, but in a good way. I’m not sure about this green mushy substance though.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No avocado next time, got it,” she settled back down in her seat, satisfied with his honest reply. What a strange creature. When they finished their meal, Bulma collected the plates and began to clean up the kitchen. Vegeta sat at the bar, finishing off his beer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not gonna help me clean up?” Bulma grumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course not, woman. I didn’t ask you to prepare this meal, therefore I am not in your debt,” Vegeta retorted. He finished off his beer and stood up out of his chair, and began walking back towards the hallway. Bulma, still washing dishes, began to turn towards him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just cooked you dinner 2 nights in a row! A thank you would be--ouch!” Bulma cried out in pain and a loud metal clang rattled through the kitchen. Vegeta stopped in his tracks, turning towards the Earthling. She clutched her hand, blood streaming down her wrist, a soapy knife laying on the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oww...man that stings…” She winced in pain and looked around for a towel. Vegeta was by her side in an instant.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me inspect it,” he asked, reaching for her hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ouch, I’m fine, I just need…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nonsense, woman. I am trained to be a medic on the field if necessary. I will be able to assess the damage quite easily.” He reached his hand toward her, and took a step closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bulma allowed Vegeta to pull her bleeding hand towards him. She winced as she opened her fist. He gently examined the cut, and nodded. He took the towel he had on his neck and ran it under the running water in the sink. He took her hand again, and began cleaning the wound. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a pretty minor cut, it doesn’t look like it needs much attention. Keep pressure on it until the bleeding stops, you’ll be fine,” He told her, pressing the towel into her wound. She looked at her hand as he wiped the blood away and let out a sigh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry about all this. This really didn’t go like I pictured it at all…” she mumbled. As he held the towel on her hand, she looked up at him. He had a fierce, strong bone structure. His hair naturally grew away from his face, so it was pretty easy to notice. His jaw was strong and sharp, and Bulma noticed that he didn’t seem to grow much facial hair. She saw what she thought was stubble around his mouth. Does he shave? His eyes were a dark, grey color, almost obsidian. His brow was always so serious, pulling inward, as if something troubling was always on his mind. As she stared at the Saiyan Prince, her heart began to race. He was so close to her now. Her stomach began to twist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta suddenly felt the electricity again. He was close enough to the Earth woman that he could sense her heart rate increasing. He remembered the sweet aroma from yesterday, and realized he was closer to her than ever before. Her sweet scent was uncomfortably close once again. He looked up from her hand and gasped slightly; suddenly they were looking into each other's eyes. Their faces mere inches apart. Her pupils dilated, and the skin beneath her little speckles became rosy. This woman...why did she gaze at him like that? Why did she make this meal for him? Why did she allow him into her home, a room to sleep in? They looked at each other in silence, the electricity buzzing on the surface of their skin. Vegeta couldn’t understand why this creature kept getting close to him. He looked down at her pinkish lips, they were parted ever so slightly, and for just a moment Vegeta wondered what they would feel like. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Vegeta remembered. His life was a series of cruel and unusual punishments. This female would likely be disgusted by the thought of sharing a moment like that with him. A disgrace to the Saiyan race. He turned his head away from Bulma, and let her hand go. He stepped away from the Earthling, going back towards his room. He paused before turning the corner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Those soft tacos...were good.” and suddenly, she was alone again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bulma gasped for air, realizing she stopped breathing at some point. She leaned against the counter, clutching her hand. It stung, but her mind was elsewhere. Her heart wouldn’t stop racing. Her stomach wouldn’t stop hurting. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>He thought they were good...”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought to herself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta laid on his bed, and stared at the ceiling. He attempted to control his breathing, but he couldn’t quite catch his breath. His heart rate hadn’t slowed down. What did this woman do to him? What kind of blasted spell had she put him under?</span>
  <em>
    <span> “The Prince of all Saiyans, seduced by a human woman? Impossible…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He told himself that all night, until he eventually fell asleep. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he woke, he could still feel the electricity. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Dirty Laundry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The tension grows stronger between Bulma and Vegeta when the two have an unexpected moment in the laundry room.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The early morning sun began to shine through Vegeta’s bedroom blinds. He’s barely gotten any sleep lately. He hasn’t spoken to Bulma since that night she wounded her hand. It must have been at least a week since then now. Her injury was minor, and she’s likely already healed.</p><p>“<em>Why am I even wasting my energy worrying about that?” </em>Vegeta grabbed his pillow and covered his face. He refused to allow her to occupy his mind any longer.</p><p>She’s the damn reason he hasn’t been able to get any sleep lately. That damn Earthling woman...the buzzing he felt on the tips of his fingers every moment he stopped to think. In this particular moment, he thought of her lips...then her ass. He thought about what she’d look like with a tail, and the sparks became stronger.</p><p><em>“God damn Earth woman...stop taunting my thoughts.” </em>No matter what he was doing, he couldn’t get that woman out of his mind. He had considered leaving the planet, his training had plateaued. He wasn’t improving fast enough to defeat the androids. He’s already wasted enough time as it is...that mysterious Super Saiyan from before said they had three years to prepare for the androids. The gravity chamber on the ship was up and operational now, but it still wasn’t enough. He had to be ready. He would not allow Kakarot to surpass him again.</p><p>Vegeta let out a big sigh, and surrendered to the morning sun. Another sleepless night for the Prince of all Saiyans. He was used to going long stretches of time without sleep, but his mind was beginning to feel exhausted. He got up out of his bed and looked around his room for a clean set of training gear, but quickly discovered he had run out. His palm met his forehead as he let out a groan.</p><p>“Fucking fantastic…” he grumbled as he picked up dirty clothes. He tossed them in a basket and walked out into the hallway, shirtless with the sweats he wore the night before. His eyelids felt heavy. He yawned.</p><p>Bulma was always kind of a morning person, even when she stayed up late. She usually woke up at around 7:00AM, and went for a run around the complex. Sometimes she did other exercises out on the lawn when the weather was nice, but most of the time she’d go straight to the kitchen and drink some coffee. After their return from Namek, Bulma decided she should care more about her physical health. She felt so fragile and weak back then, and she didn’t want to feel helpless like that ever again. She’s no Saiyan like Goku or Vegeta, but she felt happy about her small improvements anyways. Vegeta…she thought about his strong bicep, his hand holding hers. His battle worn skin. How close their faces had been…</p><p>Usually by 8:30AM Bulma’s showered and dressed for the day, and she’ll get some work done. On weekends, she usually skipped lab work and just lounged around the house, on days that needed it, she would do chores. Lately, her schedule has been thrown off balance, since now she has to work around the fact that she’s constantly distracted by thinking about Vegeta.</p><p>They’ve barely spoken since she made soft tacos. Now that he’s been training in the gravity chamber, she hasn't run into him at all. She was hoping she’d have the opportunity to cook dinner for him again, but he stopped going to the kitchen early in the morning. Maybe he was avoiding her on purpose...what if she weirded him out by staying up to talk to him? The first time wasn’t on purpose, but the second time definitely was. Maybe she made him uncomfortable. Can aliens feel awkward? Can aliens even <em>feel</em> anything? She wasn’t entirely sure, but she knew that <em>she</em> felt <em>something</em>. She couldn’t stop thinking about it.</p><p>Before she started talking to Vegeta, her life was already strange, but she came home and there was always a sense of normalcy. It was empty on her side of the complex, her parents and their animals lived on the other side. There were days where she wouldn’t even run into her folks at home...sometimes it was lonely. Now that Vegeta was living with her, she was hyper aware of the fact that he’s almost always on the other side of the wall from her, somewhere in their home. It’s like she was always thinking about where he was, and what he was doing. Was that obsessive? Nah, probably not. That strange purple-haired boy warned them about the androids, and now everybody was always off training somewhere. Nobody ever called to check in on her. At least Vegeta was nearby. Even if it wasn’t direct, it was somewhat comforting knowing she wasn’t left entirely alone.</p><p>Bulma finished drinking her coffee and gazed out the window. It was a beautiful Saturday morning. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun, and looked around the room at her laundry, and sighed. She always hated doing laundry, so she always put it off. <em>“Looks like the girls are free ballin’ it till after the first load,'' </em>she thought to herself. She wore a loose tank top and exercise shorts. “<em>Eh, not like i’m going anywhere today.” </em>She grumbled as she gathered her things and walked down the hall towards the Laundry room, her basked in hand.</p><p>Bulma burst through the laundry room door carrying a basket of clothing and Vegeta turned his attention to her. The woman’s power level was so low, he barely noticed her approaching. That’s had him on edge lately.</p><p>“Damn this thing is heavy…” she mumbled to herself. She looked up from her basked and gasped; the Saiyan that was living rent free in her thoughts all week was standing right in front of her. This time, his bare chest was completely visible, catching her off guard slightly, as she took a moment to gawk at his muscles. She snapped out of it and she blushed “Vegeta! Sorry, I didn’t realize you were in here.”</p><p>He paused for a moment, and grunted in response. He glanced down and saw that her breasts were more...distracting than usual but quickly realized he was staring and looked away. He cleared his throat before he replied.</p><p>“It's fine, I was just…” he glanced towards the washing machine and gulped. He didn’t want to admit it, but he always had the hardest time working this damn machine. While serving in Freiza’s fleet, Vegeta didn’t have to worry about washing his clothes, since his old clothing was usually destroyed in battle before he ever needed to. Memories before that were vague, but as Saiyan royalty, he wouldn’t have had to wash his own clothes anyways. This Earth clothing-washing-contraption was very foreign to him. After the chopstick incident, he refused to admit that yet another Earthling invention had bested him. “I was just...using this machine. Correctly of course,” he lied. Bulma looked at the washing machine, and instantly identified his confusion, considering he was trying to put the laundry soap into the dryer. She shot him a toothy smile, and laughed.</p><p>“Need some help there, Prince?” she giggled. “We can share.” Vegeta gulped. He liked it when she called him Prince. Not many did these days. He took a step back from the machine and leaned against the laundry room wall and gestured for Bulma to take charge. A prince shouldn’t have to worry about laundry, anyways. She gleefully took his basket and dumped it into the washer, then her own. He looked over her shoulder as she operated the machine, and he tried to remember the button combinations. It didn’t take long before Bulma had the washer up and operational. She joined him in leaning on the wall as their clothes began to swirl around together. The silence in the room would have been deafening, if not for the gentle hum of the washer.</p><p>They quietly stood against the wall together, both unsure of what to say. Vegeta could feel the electricity returning. He could once again smell her sweet scent. He inhaled gently, and exhaled slowly. The tension was more challenging than any of the training he’s gone through lately. He tucked his hands into his pants pockets.</p><p>Bulma tried her best not to stare, but <em>wow. </em>Vegeta had a really amazing body. She had seen him shirtless before, but not this close. He was muscular, but still lean. His abs still visible through his skin, even though he wasn’t showing off or anything. She noticed now that his body was covered with scars. She was sure each of them had a story. He leaned against the wall so nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets; he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world. The sweats he wore were baggy, and rode dangerously low on his hips. He had very little body hair, from what she could tell. Did he have any idea he was this sexy? He must, right? She shot him a glance and the two made eye contact for just a moment. They immediately looked away from each other, and the tension grew even heavier.</p><p>Bulma felt her face get hot. Was he looking at her? She was sure of it. She crossed her arms, pushing her breasts together slightly. Vegeta noticed this, and gulped. “<em>Is she...toying with me?” </em>He questioned. He became curious about what she was attempting to do. She angled her body ever so slightly towards him, and pushed a rogue lock of hair behind her ear. She couldn’t take the silence anymore.</p><p>“So…what have you been up to, Vegeta?” she asked. Vegeta turned slightly towards her, but continued to look away from her.</p><p>“Training of course. I have to reach Super Saiyan as soon as possible,” he wasn’t necessarily lying. It’s true he was training in the gravity chamber, but he had reached a plateau. His mind was so distracted by thoughts of the Earthling, that he’s been attempting to meditate in his off hours to refocus his mind. Mental training is just as important as physical training. Unfortunately his mind has been weak lately, and his meditation usually involved intrusive thoughts of what the earth woman would look like with a tail.</p><p>“Haven’t seen you around lately,” she sighed. “I thought you were avoiding me to be honest.”</p><p>“Silly woman. I am a full blooded Saiyan. We run from nothing.” He smiled slightly and looked up at her. “We have no fear.”</p><p>Bulma gulped as their gaze met once again. “Of course…” she bit her lip. She felt her skin tingle all over. It was like a magnet was pulling her closer to him. She took a tiny step toward him. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that.”</p><p>He felt her come closer towards him. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation making him delusional, but he allowed her to come past his guard once more. There was something about this Earthling that he couldn’t keep away. In actuality, they haven’t even spoken that much until recently.</p><p>His heavy eyelids pulled close for just a moment, and he focused on her life force. What it felt like. What her heart-beat’s rhythm sounded like. He didn’t realize it at first but he had been quietly collecting bits and pieces of information about her, in his own way. He now knew she smelled sweet because of a misty substance she sprayed on herself occasionally. The speckles on the bridge of her nose were apparently called freckles. He would remember the sound of her heart beat for later. When he opened his heavy eyes again, she had taken another step closer to him, and suddenly they were as close as they were that night she cut her hand.</p><p>The electricity was certainly back. She felt it buzz under her skin, and he felt the same. It seemed to jump from her body to his and back, as if they were being drawn together by some mysterious force. Vegeta felt like his heart was nearly pounding loud enough for her human ears to notice. He finally gave in to the magnetic buzz. He had to make contact. He took a hand out of his pocket and took hers, gently flipping it over to inspect her palm.</p><p>“This is healing up nicely. Won’t leave much of a scar though,” his voice was low and raspy from his tiredness. When they made eye contact, Bulma nearly exploded. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and she thought she was going to pass out. The corners of her lips turned up slightly. </p><p>“Yeah, I never got to thank you for looking at it. That was really nice of you…” she breathed. He stroked her palm gently, lightly tracing the creases with his fingers. He wasn’t sure why, but he pressed his palm against hers, their fingers lined up with one another. Her fingers were slightly longer than his, but her palm was shorter. Stretched out, their hands were about the same size. He smirked and looked up at her.</p><p>“Equal,” he said quietly. Vegeta couldn’t tell you why, but he laced his fingers in with hers, and held her hand for a moment. He noticed how different his hand looked compared to hers. His knuckles calloused and cracked from training. Her hands were soft, delicate, and dainty. On this planet, her hands were that of royalty, and his hands were that of a servant. How amusing. Perhaps she was calling him “prince” to mock him.</p><p>Bulma thought her heart would burst from her chest. Their eyes met again but this time, neither of them looked away. Her lips parted slightly, and he could feel her breath touch his face. He breathed her in, and growled under his breath as he exhaled. She was definitely taunting him.</p><p>“Horrible woman. You have been tempting me…I don’t know if I’m willing to hold back much longer,” he whispered after a moment.</p><p>Bulma raised one eyebrow “Oh really?” she queried.</p><p>Vegeta closed his eyes, “You can’t seem to leave my thoughts, woman. While I’m training. While I’m meditating. While I’m sleeping...you’ve been taunting me... constantly.” He opened his eyes and looked deep into hers, searching for answers. He was too exhausted to front like he usually did. “It’s been absolute torture.” He grinned. She felt the electricity buzz on her lips. Her stomach began to twist. Bulma was speechless at what she was hearing. So aliens are capable of feeling. She held back a smile. After a moment she replied.</p><p>“Why hold back?” she asked. “Why not give in?”</p><p>“Silly Earth woman...don’t you see?” he breathed. He felt the electricity jolt through his body, but he was too exhausted to care. He leaned his head forward, resting his forehead against hers. He looked deep into her eyes. “I’ve already given in.”</p><p>Bulma’s breathing was heavy. He shut his eyes again. She felt tingling all over her body, like it was calling out to him. She used her free hand and touched his chest, tracing the outline of his muscles and scars. Her finger made its way down his chest to his abdomen, then down to that dangerously low waist band. Her heart was pounding. Vegeta’s breathing also became slightly heavier as he let out another low growl. His other hand left his pocket and found its way to the small of her back, pulling her in. He closed the gap between them effortlessly, and pushed her up against the wall faster than she could process. He moved his hand gently over her body, his fingers peeking slightly underneath her top, but not quite all the way. Bulma’s breathing grew heavier. Vegeta bit his lip and opened his eyes. Her pupils dilated when he looked into them. He brought his lips down to her neck, close to her ear. Her sweet aroma filled his lungs.</p><p>“Prince...Vegeta…” she moaned quietly.</p><p>“You’re playing a dangerous game, woman. You’ve made yourself this vulnerable to a Saiyan warrior. I could easily lose control…” both his hands were at her hips as he tightened his grip on her. He tugged her body into his, she could feel his muscles pressed up against him. He was so strong...there was no way she could escape, even if she wanted to. “I could do anything I wanted to you, effortlessly…anything. You wouldn’t even be able to react.” he breathed in her scent once more, he was beginning to become addicted to it. Addicted to...her. He couldn’t hold back those thoughts any longer. He knew then that he wanted her.</p><p>She couldn’t hide her breathing anymore. She was sure he noticed her heart rate by now, it was pounding so hard in her chest it hurt. She squeezed her legs together at the mere thought of him losing control. She knew he could kill her if he wanted to, but she knew that he wouldn't. And in this moment, she wasn't sure if she would care. She melted under his grasp and relaxed her body, allowing him the opportunity to follow up on those threats. She was beginning to figure out exactly what it was she was feeling for him.</p><p>The washer let out a loud buzzer indicating the wash cycle was finished. Vegeta smirked and pulled back off the woman, dropping his grip on her and setting here free. “I am tired. I think I’ll return to bed for a while…” he mumbled. He exited the laundry room, leaving Bulma and a thick silence behind him. It took her a long moment to catch her breath. Her head was spinning. Her legs felt like noodles. “<em>Did that seriously just happen?” </em>She thought to herself. She touched her neck where his hot breath had caressed just moments ago. She picked herself up off the wall, and squealed. Fantasies began to fill her head as she moved their laundry to dry.</p><p>About an hour later, Bulma quietly walked up to the Saiyan’s room with a basket of his newly folded, clean laundry. She gently knocked on the door, and after receiving no response slowly pulled it open.</p><p>“Hey, Prince? Your clothes are done…” as Bulma entered the room she heard a soft, rhythmic breathing. She saw Vegeta laying on top of his bed, snoring gently as he slept. She smiled at the sight of him, he looked like he needed the rest. She set the basket of clean laundry at the foot of his bed, and picked up his rumpled blanket from the floor, and draped it over his frustratingly perfect sculpted body. As she began exiting the room, she saw his armor lying on the ground, practically in pieces. Poor guy could really use an upgrade. She left his room, quietly shutting the door behind her.</p><p>Vegeta opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Was he really allowing himself to become so vulnerable? He was a Saiyan warrior, how could he allow this woman to pass his guard again and again? He nearly lost control back there. He wasn’t sure how, but maybe this was the change he needed to achieve Super Saiyan. He thought about transforming for another moment, and then he thought about Bulma’s perfectly distracting breasts again. He felt his cheeks get hot and closed his eyes. He let his mind wander, thinking about what they’d look like uncovered. He thought about how she’d look with a tail once again. He smiled at the thought of it, but that smile quickly faded.</p><p>This too shall pass. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello readers! Just wanted to say, thank you for reading this fanfic so far! I have a lot of plans for this, so hopefully you'll stick around for the ride!<br/>[edit 12/10/20, continuity note)<br/>the current time period of this fic is during DBZ in the Cell Saga, after Future Trunks has warned about the androids, officially it takes place during the “3 year gap,” after the events of episode 124 “Z Warriors Prepare”</p><p>Thank you all again for the support! More chapters coming soon!<br/>-HVS</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Broken Promise: Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After an argument with her ex-boyfriend Yamucha, Bulma becomes emotional with no one to console her, until Vegeta finds himself there for her when nobody else is.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter 4- Broken Promise: Part 1</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Yamucha, stop!” Bulma yelled into the phone at her blubbering ex-boyfriend. This wouldn’t be the first time he called her in the middle of the night, begging for another chance. Her heart ached, thinking of all the chances she <em> had </em>given him, only to be betrayed again and again. </p><p>“Bulma, please! I can change! Those other girls mean nothing to me, I swear it! This time will be different, I promise!” Yamucha begged on the other line. </p><p>“It’s always gonna be different with you, Yamucha. Turns out it never actually is. I’m done playing games...I’m too old for this crap! And so are you!” She retorted. Bulma tinkered on her newest project as she spoke to him. Why did she even waste her time with him anymore? It’s not like he would actually change this time. Why even answer the phone? Bulma <em> did </em> know that answer, unfortunately. She was lonely, and he caught her in a moment of weakness. </p><p>“I’m old enough to know that we’re meant to be together, Bulma. Don’t you remember everything we’ve been through together? You’re just gonna let that all go?” Yamucha raised his voice at her in the call. She hated it when he yelled at her, but it always ended up like this…</p><p>“All that we’ve been through, huh? What about all that <em> you’ve put me through? </em> I can’t take it anymore, Yamucha. How many times are you gonna stomp on my heart before you just let me go? I can’t do this anymore,” She felt the tears well up in her eyes. She slammed her tool down on her desk with a loud bang, and stood up from her desk to yell back at him, “I trusted you, Yamucha! I trusted you and you still hurt me! I traveled across the universe for you and you still cheated! I can’t even remember hearing you <em> thank me </em>for bringing you back! Nobody ever appreciates what I do, especially not some deadbeat asshole like you! I’m done! Don’t call me again,” she sobbed.</p><p>“Come on Bulma--” Yamucha started as Bulma hung up the phone. She looked down at her project, and her vision became blurry with tears. She clenched her fist around the phone, then let out a yell as she threw it across the room. She hated that she was weak. All she did was hold everybody back. Krillin and Gohan only brought her to Namek with them to use her Dragon Ball tracker anyways. All she’s ever been useful for was her tech, nobody ever called to check in on her unless they needed something. Bulma let out a sigh and she tried to compose herself. She looked up at the unfinished project that sat on her desk. New and improved Saiyan armor, modeled after Vegeta’s old set. She sniffled. Vegeta probably won’t appreciate her hard work either. He’s only here because he had nowhere else to go. The tears began welling up again.</p><p>“Dammit…” she whispered as she wiped her eyes. She needed to pull herself together. Maybe a walk around the complex would help clear her head. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Vegeta didn’t normally care enough to eavesdrop, but it was a little hard since Bulma was practically screaming from up the hall. He had just finished up his training for the evening when he overheard her conversation. He figured if she wanted it to be private, she wouldn’t be squawking so loudly. He tuned most of the details out as he made his way back towards his room. On his way, he noticed her chamber door was still slightly open. He didn’t <em> really </em> care <em> that </em> much about what she was yelling about, but part of him still felt the need to check. The curiosity had gotten the best of him. Instead of turning into his own room, he quietly made his way towards the Earthling’s chamber, peeking inside as he approached. </p><p>She sat at her desk, back towards him. Her room was awfully disheveled, all kinds of things scattered about the space. It didn’t seem very efficient to the prince, but he let it go. He watched as Bulma held her communicator to her ear with her shoulder, toying with something on her desk. He couldn’t see her face, but he could tell by her tone that she was awfully distraught. She suddenly stood up from her chair, abandoning the project in front of her. The tone in her voice changed drastically, and it sounded shakier than before. After a moment, she suddenly threw the communicator at the wall, and looked at her desk for a moment. She turned towards the door, and before she noticed the Saiyan, he floated up to the ceiling, out of her sight. She stormed off down the hall, the sound of a slamming door following shortly after. Vegeta returned himself to the floor. </p><p><em> “Strange behavior, even for her,” </em> Vegeta thought. He wondered who she was speaking with on her communicator. He turned towards her open door, and finally saw what she had been tinkering on while he eavesdropped. He raised his eyebrows and walked into her room towards her desk. </p><p>“<em> Is this…” </em> he reached out and touched the breastplate of the brand new Saiyan armor that was left on her desk. It looked extremely similar to the set he had destroyed but felt somehow sleeker. He picked it up off the desk, and tugged on the material. Incredible, she was able to recreate the material their armor was built from. <em> “Could she have been…” </em> he looked at the unfinished project, speechless. Such amazing craftsmanship. Could she have been working on improving his armor for his upcoming battle? An ally of Kakarot...assisting him? </p><p>It’s true he was temporarily on the same side as the Earthlings, but he couldn’t figure out why she would do something so...<em> nice </em> for him. This was more than cooking him a meal, or helping him wash his clothes. For Vegeta, this was so much more personal. His chest felt tight for a moment. On his home planet, a woman making a warrior his armor was the ultimate sign of affection and respect. He set the armor back onto her desk and crossed his arms. He pondered for a moment. </p><p>The two hadn’t talked that much since he nearly lost control in the laundry room. She had been preoccupied with her project to the point where she didn’t seem to seek him out very much since then. They would occasionally make eye contact as they passed each other in the hall, but he usually just looked away. It wasn’t easy for him to make casual conversation. He wasn’t sure he ever had casual conversations before taking up residency in Capsule Corp. As much as he desired getting closer to the Earth woman, he promised himself he would not become vulnerable to her again. He promised he wouldn’t let his guard down around her...he could not take that risk. He wasn’t sure he could hold back again. If she discovered how weak he had become around her, she would surely destroy him.</p><p>Vegeta looked up from Bulma’s desk, and out the window in front of him. It was dark outside, but his superior Saiyan eyesight allowed him to see that Bulma had actually gone and sat on the lawn under some trees. He focused in on her energy to see what he could pick up. Based on her heart rate and life force, she appeared to be in good health. Her energy signal was still pathetically low, but he figured her ability to create equipment and technology is what made her valuable to Kakarot and his gang of weaklings. Without her and her family’s tech, they probably wouldn’t have even been able to travel to Namek in the first place. </p><p>He then noticed something was slightly off about her energy; her breathing pattern was irregular. Vegeta’s eyes narrowed. She was clearly upset about something. He looked over at the wall where she had thrown her communicator. There was a small dent in the wall where it made contact. The corner of his mouth turned upwards into a grin--she may be weak but she’s got a decent arm...for a human. He decided he would further investigate the situation, but he would <em> not </em> let his guard down again. </p><p>Bulma sat against the tree, wiping tears from her eyes. She was embarrassed that Yamucha still managed to get inside her head like that. Part of her wondered if she <em> should </em>give him one last chance. Maybe he really did change this time, and it didn’t seem like any other man would give her the time. It’s not like Vegeta was showing any interest lately. She sighed when she thought of the Saiyan.</p><p>She looked up at the stars through the tree branches. She wondered how many of those stars were planets, long gone, destroyed by Freiza and his armies. Not that long ago, Vegeta was one of them. The lights she saw twinkling above her didn’t feel as mysterious as they once did. She closed her eyes, and pictured the planet Namek in her head. She remembered all the times Krillin and Gohan left her alone to fend for herself, not knowing if they’d return or not. At one point, she truly felt like she would be marooned there forever, never to set foot on her home planet again. She sighed, and laid back in the grass.</p><p>Vegeta quietly approached the woman as she lay there. Her snivelling revealed that she had actually come out here to <em> cry </em> . He furrowed his brow. Whatever happened, it’s had a great effect on her. He strangely felt the need to do something to help, but all he knew was how to destroy. He thought of the armor he had left on her desk. <em> “I suppose I could at least say something…” </em>he decided. He walked up the lawn, the familiar electric buzz beginning to emerge as he got closer. </p><p>“For a member of such a pathetic race, you do have powerful lungs,” Vegeta plainly stated, startling Bulma into an upright position. She turned around and saw him as he stood there, his arms crossed around this chest. He glistened in the moonlight--it was as if a mysterious hero from her books had come to life and stood before her. Her heart nearly stopped.  She quickly wiped the remaining tears from her face.</p><p>“Fuck! How long have you been standing there?” her cheeks began to burn from embarrassment. He shrugged in response, but said nothing. “W-What do you mean...powerful lungs?”</p><p>“Simple, I could hear you screaming at your communicator from across the complex. Therefore, you must have powerful lungs.”</p><p>Bulma’s eyes grew wide, and she ducked her head in shame. “You heard all that? God, that’s embarrassing…” she grumbled. Her cheeks remained crimson, and the two stood there in silence for another moment. </p><p>“<em> I must not lower my guard…” </em>Vegeta thought. He had told himself that not long ago, but he still found himself taking steps to get closer to her. “Which of the pathetic weaklings were you interrogating?”</p><p>“You mean on the phone? My stupid good for nothing ex boyfriend Yamucha. I wasn’t really interrogating him or anything, I just always get so heated when I talk to him.” she pulled her knees to her chest, Vegeta frowned. She couldn’t be serious. If he remembered correctly, Yamucha was the human weakling that wanted to run away like a coward at the mere idea of Freiza’s return. Even the woman said she would face him. <em> That </em>was the weakling causing her pain? He clenched his jaw. </p><p>“He’s more of a coward than I thought.” Vegeta said through his teeth.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>He took a few more steps forward, and leaned on the tree she sat under. “Well if I’m remembering correctly that is the same weakling who wanted to run away the moment things began to get serious.”</p><p>“Yeah...he tends to do that in all areas of his life apparently...back when we first met he could barely talk to girls. Once we became an item he got a shred of confidence and tossed me aside for any piece of ass that would give him attention. Once they ditch him, he comes crawling back every time ‘I’ve changed Bulma, this time i mean it!’” she mocked.</p><p>“Sounds like he’s even dumber than he looks. If you ask me, you’re better off without him. Spending more time on such a pathetic creature would be wasteful,“ Vegeta looked up at the sky as he spoke, then back down at Bulma. She stared back, and smiled. The electricity had grown stronger when their eyes met. He shrugged, and looked away. She giggled. </p><p>“Are...are you trying to comfort me, Vegeta?” she questioned. He felt the skin on his cheeks get warm. </p><p>“Of course not, I am merely assisting you in understanding the facts from a superior, more rational perspective.”</p><p>“I see...well, thanks for the insight, Prince.” The silence hung around for another moment. Crickets chirped in the distance as the pair gazed up at the stars. He peeked down at the Earthling as she sat under the moonlight. He noticed how sad her face still looked, as if something was eating away at her. He sighed after a moment. Despite him knowing better, he took a seat on the grass close to her. </p><p>“Your craftsmanship was rather impressive,” he said as he adjusted to the ground. “It looks like it will hold up well to attacks.” Bulma gasped as she turned towards him.</p><p>“You went into my room?” she blushed, remembering how messy she had left it. She cleared her throat before she spoke again. “So you saw the new armor huh? Aww man, so much for the surprise.” she smiled warmly at him. </p><p>“Right well…” Vegeta didn’t have an excuse. He was just being snoopy, and he knew it. “I heard you from earlier and was just…”</p><p>“Checking on me?” she giggled and winked at him. He felt his cheeks get warm, and swallowed. “Sorry you had to hear all that. It’s pretty embarrassing to admit, but I really did care about Yamucha for a long time. He just...broke too many promises. I guess it still stings…” her face drooped as she spoke. Vegeta clenched his jaw. How dare that weakling toy with the woman’s emotions, after all she had given to them. He felt his eyebrows pull together, as the rage began to swell. </p><p><em> “I need to calm down...I can’t let her see my emotions. My weakness.” </em>Vegeta took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Bulma looked over at the prince, and felt her heart flutter. His face was so radiant in the cool blue moonlight. He looked like some sort of greek god. She scooted closer to him, and gently linked her arm in with his.  She felt him get stiff, but he didn’t pull away. </p><p>“So hey...now that the cat’s out of the bag, why don’t you come back to my room?” she said softly. His heart rate increased, and he looked over to her. “You know, to try on the armor...might as well make sure it's the right fit.” </p><p>“Right, of course. The armor,” Vegeta gulped. He felt ashamed, his mind was in the gutter. Memories of their laundry room encounter flashed in his eyes. Her lips, her eyes, her breasts... <em> “Don’t become vulnerable again.” </em> he repeated in his head. He quickly stood up off the ground, pulling his arm away from her. She hesitated for a moment, but stood up soon after. </p><p>“Right...well, let’s go,” she smiled gently and began back towards the entrance. Her heart was racing. What was she upset about again? She couldn’t quite remember. He knew it was the wrong choice, but he followed after her. </p><p>The two made their way up the lawn and towards the front door. Just then Vegeta sensed an approaching power level, and stopped in his tracks. Bulma looked back to him, confused, just as Yamucha made his approach. He landed in the pathway in front of them. Vegeta shot him a glare and clenched his fists. <em> “Dammit, this isn’t good.” </em>he thought.</p><p>“Bulma!” Yamucha called out to her. She took a step backwards as he began walking towards her. </p><p>“Yamucha? What are you doing here?” Bulma crossed her arms.</p><p>“Bulma we’re not done with...what the hell, Vegeta? What are you...” he noticed the Saiyan standing close behind her. Seriously? What was she doing with that guy? Yamucha knew Bulma had let him stay at Capsule Corp. while they prepared for the androids, but actually hanging out with him? He balled his hands into fists and stood up straight. </p><p>Vegeta stepped in front of Bulma, glaring at the approaching human. “Not done with what, weakling?” He said through his teeth. The swell of anger returned to his chest, and the electricity he felt turned into a raging fire. </p><p> </p><p>This weakling had made a grave mistake in coming here.</p><p> </p><p>To be Continued</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Broken Promise: Part 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tension is at an all time high when Yamucha confronts Vegeta outside of Capsule Corp.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Yamucha was finishing off his beer when he thought about calling Bulma. He hadn’t really spoken to her much since their break up. He figured she was done sulking, and was ready to forgive and forget, just like she always did. He waved down the bartender, a cute blonde, to close his tab for the night. How long has it been since they split? He couldn’t quite remember. Long enough, probably. He paid for his tab and left the cute bartender a good tip. If things went as planned, Yamucha wouldn’t be sleeping alone tonight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside of the bar was a pay-phone. He stumbled his way into the booth and dialed Bulma’s familiar number. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>She’ll take me back. She always takes me back,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he smiled to himself while he waited.</span>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello?” Bulma’s voice answered on the other line. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, you! Guess who?” Yamucha played. She always did love it when he made her laugh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ugh, what do you want, Yamucha? I’m busy,” she snapped. That wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for. Damage control time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, Bulma, don’t be mad! I haven’t talked to any girls since we split. I’ve had tons of girls try to flirt with me but I just turn them all away! Come on, Bulma!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yamucha, stop!” she yelled. This really wasn’t going as planned. He felt his head begin to ache from the alcohol. He probably shouldn’t be drunk-dialing his ex right now, but he really could use some company for the night. He pressed on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bulma, please! I can change! Those other girls mean nothing to me, I swear it! This time will be different, I promise!” Yamucha begged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s always gonna be different with you, Yamucha. Turns out it never </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> is. I’m done playing games...I’m too old for this crap! And so are you!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m old enough to know that we’re meant to be together, Bulma. Don’t you remember everything we’ve been through together? You’re just gonna let that all go?” He raised his voice as he spoke. He was becoming frustrated--there’s no way she’s really done, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“All that we’ve been through, huh? What about all that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you’ve put me through?</span>
  </em>
  <span> I can’t take it anymore, Yamucha. How many times are you gonna stomp on my heart before you just let me go? I can’t do this anymore. I trusted you, Yamucha! I trusted you and you still hurt me! I traveled across the universe for you and you still cheated! I can’t even remember hearing you </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank me </span>
  </em>
  <span>for bringing you back! Nobody ever appreciates what I do, especially not some deadbeat asshole like you! I’m done! Don’t call me again,” she was definitely crying. He always felt a little bad when he upset her like this, but she was being completely unreasonable. He thought about it for a moment, did he thank her after everything? He couldn’t really remember, but he was sure he mentioned it at some point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on Bulma, don’t be like that!” He yelled as she ended the call, “Dammit!” He slammed the phone back on the receiver. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. “You think we’re done? Not a chance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He exited the phone booth, and took off towards Capsule Corp. This conversation was far from over. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>* * * *</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Yamucha landed on the Capsule Corp. lawn he saw Bulma approaching from the side. “Bulma!” he called out to her. Once she noticed him, she stopped in her tracks. He smiled and started towards her, when she took a step back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yamucha? What are you doing here?” Bulma crossed her arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bulma we’re not done with…” Yamucha started, when he noticed they weren’t alone. “What the hell, Vegeta? What are you...” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta put himself in front of Bulma, defensively. It was easy to see that this human had been drinking based on his scent alone. Vegeta knew it wasn’t necessarily his place to get territorial, but something inside him pushed him to defend her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Not done with what, weakling?” He said through his teeth. He planted his feet solidly in the ground, crossing his arms over his chest. He glared over at the weakling, sizing him up as he approached. Not much had really changed about him since they first met, his power level had barely improved. Vegeta knew killing this pathetic human would be just as easy as the first time around. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s none of your business what I discuss with </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> girlfriend, Vegeta!” Yamucha retorted. He knew Vegeta was strong, but he thought he’d back off if he stated his claim. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Your</span>
  </em>
  <span> girlfriend?” Bulma scoffed, “Yamucha, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>I dumped your ass--” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re clearly not wanted here, weakling. Now leave before I decide to kill you for the second time,” Vegeta interrupted. Yamucha stumbled his way up the lawn to close the gap between them. Vegeta stood his ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t tell me what to do, buddy!” Yamucha slurred--he was definitely feeling that last drink. He walked up to Vegeta and took a fighting stance. Vegeta let out a laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You dare disrespect me? The Prince of all Saiyans?” Vegeta questioned, unmoving. He thought about killing the human outright, just to make an example of him. It would be easy, like breaking a toothpick. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop it!” Bulma yelled, “Both of you!” She stepped in front of the Saiyan as she spoke. Yamucha reached out and grabbed Bulma by the arm, pulling her in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s mine, buddy!” he claimed as he pulled her towards him, grabbing her arm a little too hard. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ouch, Yamucha, let go! You’re hurting me!” Bulma cried out in pain. She tried to pull away, but Yamucha’s grip was too strong, and he was too drunk and preoccupied with the Saiyan in front of him to notice. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sight of Bulma in pain forced Vegeta over the edge; he suddenly went into rage. He closed the gap between them in an instant, grabbing Yamucha by the collar and pulling him face to face. Yamucha released his grasp on Bulma, and she fell to the ground. </span>
</p>
<p><span>“Listen here you pathetic weakling, The only reason you aren’t dead right now is because I have chosen to be generous. But I guarantee that next time you even think about laying a finger on her, hell, the next time you think about </span><em><span>looking</span></em> <em><span>her way </span></em><span>it’ll take a lot more than the Dragon Balls to bring you back from where I send you,” Vegeta’s anger was seething. He stared into Yamucha’s eyes as he spoke; that wasn’t a threat, it was a promise. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>Yamucha became silent as Vegeta tightened his grip. His power level was already exponentially higher than when he first arrived on Earth, and he wasn’t even using his full extent of it. Yamucha had an ego, but he wasn’t entirely stupid. He knew there was no way for him to win that fight. He just looked back at Vegeta, and shamefully nodded in compliance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s what I thought,” Vegeta spat as he shoved Yamucha back. He helped Bulma up off the ground and took her through the front doors of Capsule Corp. Yamucha watched as Vegeta led Bulma inside. He looked at her to see if she would look back at him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She didn’t. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta slammed the door behind them once they entered the living room. He released Bulma, and began pacing back and forth in the room. His breathing was heavy and erratic, his eyebrows pulled together--revealing the rage he had been holding back. Bulma was hesitant to speak at first. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why is he getting so angry? It all happened so fast...I can’t even process it…</span>
  </em>
  <span> she thought. Her heart was racing, she couldn’t tell if it was purely from the adrenaline of the moment or not. She leaned against the wall and waited for Vegeta to say something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was a fierce and raging storm of emotions. He wasn’t even sure if he could identify everything he was feeling in that moment. He felt anger for what Yamucha had done. He felt worried about whether the woman was hurt. He felt confusion for why he was behaving in this strange way. He felt stress for the pressure of defeating the androids in three years' time. He felt ashamed for being unable to achieve Super Saiyan. He felt humiliated for losing against Kakarot. It was all coming down, all at once. The Saiyan was unable to process everything he was feeling, as he was forced to suppress his emotions his whole life. His breathing became heavier, and his vision became blurry. He stopped his pacing. The storm inside him was about to surge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How dare that weakling...he comes to claim you like his property and challenges </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>? The Prince of all Saiyans? He </span>
  <em>
    <span>dared</span>
  </em>
  <span> to puff his chest out at </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>? That pathetic, worthless worm!” he tightened his fingers into a fist and clenched his teeth. “I should have killed him for disrespecting me! I should have killed him for how he spoke to you!” He brought his fists down on the coffee table so hard the floor caved into itself, creating a massive hole. Bulma let out a gasp, and flinched from the sight of it. Vegeta noticed instantly, realising his manic state was probably frightening her. He tried to relax his hands and face, taking a moment to gain control over himself. He stared down at the destroyed table and floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bulma hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I...I’m sorry that happened. I don’t know what he was thinking coming over here like that…I’ve known Yamucha for years, and despite him being the biggest jerk on this planet, he really is harmless...he was just drunk. He wouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>intentionally </span>
  </em>
  <span>hurt me--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bulma, you’re wrong!” Vegeta snapped, “He clearly has no problem hurting you, I saw him do it with my own eyes. He does not respect you.” he flexed his jaw. It took a moment before Bulma could react--she had never heard him call her by her name before. She took a step closer to him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s so upset...all because of me and my drama...why? </span>
  </em>
  <span>she pondered as she looked upon his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His jaw was strong, he clenched his teeth in frustration. His eyebrows pulled together revealing strong worry lines between them; no doubt from years of battle fatigue. His eyes were dark, but they still held a small glint of light making them shine in their own beautiful, alien way. She began to feel drawn to him, to touch that worried face and help him feel like for once in his life, things were going to be okay. This mysterious, alien man that stood before her, with so much torment behind his eyes was angry on her behalf, all because her ex-boyfriend disrespected her. The same alien man that came to check on her when she was upset. The very same alien man that acknowledged her hard work and complimented her craft. She began to feel her heart burn, and butterflies swelling in her stomach. She felt like she was going to overflow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You...you called me Bulma,” she finally whispered. Vegeta looked up and locked eyes with her. His hard expression remained, but the smallest glint of red showed through his cheeks. He cleared his throat before he spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well…” his voice had become slightly softer, “that is your name is it not?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It's just...I’ve never heard you call me by my name before. It’s nice…” she slowly gave in to the magnetic force pulling her closer to him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes I mean...you often show me respect by calling me Prince Vegeta...I will show my respect for you by calling you Bulma. Simple…” He darted his eyes away from her as she approached. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t become vulnerable. Don’t reveal your weakness… </span>
  </em>
  <span>The words repeated themselves in his head, but the closer she came to him, the farther away they seemed. He realized he was reacting to the magnetic pull, and moving slightly closer to her. The electricity was jolting around his body, starting in his chest and making its way into every point in his being, awakening something in him he had never felt before. It wasn’t long before they stood face to face, barely any room between them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t become vulnerable again….</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks for standing up for me out there...I’m so sorry for all that…” Bulma whispered as she reached her hand out to touch his chest. His heart began to beat stronger, and his blood began to burn hotter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>No...don’t let it show…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do not like how he spoke to you. Like he owned you...like you belonged to him.” Vegeta growled. “It made me...it made me feel strange.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Strange?” Bulma gently ran her fingers across his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Your weakness…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t understand it...I feel...territorial. I do not like the idea of you belonging to him.” Vegeta quietly admitted. Bulma’s heart skipped a beat. She gently clutched the fabric on his shirt. She looked up at his face, and he looked back down into hers. Their eyes met once more, and in that moment it was as if the universe had stopped moving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta couldn’t hold back any longer. He gently raised his hand and touched her cheek. He unclenched his jaw, and softened his eyebrows. She stared back at him, melting under his touch as he gently caressed her face with his battle worn hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I...wish to be closer to you” he leaned his face closer to hers, “Bulma.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At that moment, Vegeta broke his promise. His lips found hers, and it was as if the electric feeling that was haunting the two of them had finally sparked and lit a burning flame. The butterflies she felt in her stomach burst free. He pulled her closer to him, weaving his fingers in her sweet scented hair, his other hand making its way to her waist. Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as if she would never let him go. She felt his perfectly trained body meld seamlessly into hers. Her lips were everything he dreamed of, soft and perfectly plush as he moved his own against them. A small moan escaped Bulma’s throat as he kissed her. It felt like an eternity had passed before they finally pulled away from each other, catching their breath in between smaller, softer kisses. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta pulled away from her, and pressed his forehead to her’s. He released his grip on her waist to take her hand, long healed from her wound, and pressed it against his own, spreading their fingers out against each other, perfectly matched.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Equal,” he whispered to himself. Bulma smiled, and laced her fingers in with this, grabbing his hand tightly. She pulled back to look into his obsidian eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Equal,” she whispered back. They held each other for another long moment before either one of them spoke. Eventually, Vegeta sighed heavily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?” Bulma questioned. Vegeta said nothing, but looked down at the gaping hole he had created in the living room floor. He released her hand and rubbed his eyes in frustration.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything on Earth is so incredibly breakable,” he muttered after a moment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Our place isn’t exactly Saiyan proof. I mean, what are you training at now, 400 times the Earth’s gravity? You could sneeze and blow the roof off this place,” Bulma giggled. After a moment, she felt the gears begin turning in her head. If she could create a space that could withstand Vegeta’s constantly growing power level, he would have a place he could train safely and efficiently. At the same time they would have a controlled space to measure his strength and work on materials that could withstand it. She took a mental note of this discovery. “At least, not for long.” She gave Vegeta a wink. He gave her a cocky smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Considering I am the strongest being currently existing on this planet, it would probably be in your best interest to stay on my side,” Vegeta bragged. She gave him a warm smile and nodded. She glanced over at the clock on the wall; it read 1:30AM. She looked back over to Vegeta.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you hungry?” she asked. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>*</span>
  <em>
    <span>grrrrg…* </span>
  </em>
  <span>His stomach growled in response.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I did finish my training not long ago,” he replied, putting one hand on his abdomen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, how could I forget? A warrior is always hungry after his training. Let’s see what I can do about that, Prince!” She held his hand and pulled him with her towards the kitchen. The electricity seemed to have changed into a new, unfamiliar feeling. It was warm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unbeknownst to him, Vegeta had unlocked something dormant deep within himself. Something that has always been there, finally revealing itself for the first time. It would take more vigorous training than ever before for him to discover it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was because he broke his promise to himself, that he was one step closer to becoming a Super Saiyan. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Dreaming of Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Memories of his troubled past taunt him after Bulma asks Vegeta a difficult question.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’ve figured it out!” Bulma exclaimed as she burst through the door to her room. Vegeta sat in the window sill above her desk, turning his attention to her.</p><p>“Of course you’ve figured it out. You’re certainly the most intelligent of your race, so I’d expect no less” He declared. She approached the Saiyan, handing him one of the beers in her hands and laughed.</p><p>“You don’t even know what it is yet,” she teased. She took the pen from behind her ear and began to jot down some sort of foreign language on a piece of scratch paper on her desk. Vegeta took a drink while he watched her. She had a strong look of determination and motivation on her face. He let her expression burn into his memory; her face when she is focused on something was most pleasant to him. </p><p>He and the Earthling have been spending most of their free time together lately. She usually assists with repairs and improvements on his armor after training sessions. After he finishes training for the day, they prepare a meal and eat together. Then, they talk. </p><p>Vegeta wasn’t really accustomed to sharing things about his past with others. He usually allowed the woman to ask basic questions, and he attempted to answer them as best he could without mentioning all the terror he caused and planets he destroyed. There were certain subjects he wouldn’t delve in to, though. He’d never admit it to her, but it was too painful to revisit certain things. Most of the time, she stuck to relatively shallow subjects. Favorite color, favorite Earth food, etc. </p><p>They haven’t shared any intimate moments since their first kiss. They haven’t really spoken much of it either; Vegeta was honestly enjoying listening to her ramble on about whatever nonsense she wanted to. It helped keep the more difficult things off his mind. There were always intrusive thoughts, but when he listened to her speak about her projects, inventions, and favorite carbonated beverage,  it helped him pretend they weren’t there. Even if it was just temporary. </p><p>“Spit it out, woman. What is it you’ve figured out?” He finally asked.</p><p>“I’ve figured out the missing piece. It’s official, we can start building the new gravity room in the complex!” She exclaimed, revealing the formulas she was writing out. Vegeta raised one eyebrow. </p><p>“A gravity chamber inside? Not that I’m complaining, but what’s wrong with the one on the ship?”</p><p>“It’s not that there’s something wrong with it. It’s that you’ve gotten so strong that the ship can’t push you any further. You always mention how you want to get stronger so I started thinking about ways I could help. The new gravity room will be able to increase the amount of gravity you can train under, plus allow for more space for complex drones and simulations. We can more accurately record data on your sessions and see what we can do to help you and the others improve! It’s perfect!” Bulma excitedly explained. Vegeta was speechless. Perhaps this would be the key to get him out of his plateau. It was amazing how this woman could always push the boundaries on limitations. He nodded in agreement. </p><p>“You’re helping me become stronger, that is an interesting choice. You should know you’re responsible if I destroy your planet accidentally,” he played. Bulma smacked his arm playfully. </p><p>“Is it sad that I almost can’t tell if that’s a joke?” She took a swig of her drink, and leaned against the window, next to Vegeta. She tapped her pen on her chin, deep in thought. He took another drink and looked over at her while she did. Her eyebrows were pulled together in total concentration. He smirked and reached his hand over to touch her cheek. His touch brought her out of her focus, and she smiled, taking his hand in hers as she turned towards him. Her dress was form fitting, and accentuated her curves perfectly—which she was well aware of. He peeked down at her chest cleavage briefly before looking back at her face. He slowly was beginning to understand why that wretched old man that trained Kakarot was always staring at those magazines. </p><p>Bulma looked up at Vegeta, and admired his face. Ever since their first kiss, it seemed like his expression was less worried. She didn’t want to take complete credit, but she was happy that him spending time with her was helping him unwind, even if it was just a little bit. She couldn’t wait to get started on the new gravity room—it was like her first real present to him. A training room fit for an alien prince. She wondered if he had ever gotten a present before. Things Vegeta was accustomed to must have been so different than how things were at Capsule Corp, let alone on Earth.</p><p>“What was it like training before you came to Earth? It’s not like you had controlled gravity rooms before, right?” she asked him. She leaned closer to him, eager for a reply. He held her eye contact for a moment, unsure of what to say. </p><p>Growing up a child soldier wasn’t exactly glamorous. It wasn't training so much as it was survival of the fittest. If you were to make it to tomorrow, your only option was to stay alive at all costs. He tried to think back before he was enslaved by Freiza. His eyebrows pulled together in frustration. His heart sank slightly—his memories of his life before Freiza were slowly fading away. He couldn’t remember how he would train before...he couldn’t remember much from his home at all anymore. </p><p>“Tch…” he scoffed and turned away from her, looking out the window. He hated thinking about his past. So many of those memories were too painful. He stayed silent, and his mind began to wander into a time he had been desperately trying to avoid. Bulma took another drink from her beer. The silence hung and began to feel awkward. She frowned.</p><p>“What’s wrong, Prince?” She asked. </p><p>“It’s nothing, woman,” He sharply replied. He began to fade further, slowly getting lost in memories of the past. His eyes stared up at the stars, but Bulma could tell he wasn’t really looking at them. She waited for a moment before speaking.</p><p>“Are you getting hungry? I know it’s earlier than usual but—“</p><p>“I’m not hungry,” he interrupted. Bulma became irritated with his rudeness.</p><p>“What’s the deal, Vegeta? You don’t have to be so mean, I was just trying to make conversation,” She complained. She thought he was passed acting like an assole to her but apparently not.</p><p>“It’s nothing. I should get back to training, thanks for the drink,” Vegeta dryly replied, as he hopped off the window sill. He left his half empty bottle behind and avoided eye contact as he swiftly exited her room. </p><p>“What’s with him?” Bulma mumbled. She shook it off and looked at the formulas she wrote down. She sighed. Even if he was being a total jerk, she knew working on the gravity chamber was necessary for them to beat the androids. She reluctantly sat at her desk and took another drink of her beer. She continued to perfect her formulas with Vegeta’s cloudy expression on the back of her mind. She could only hope that when he was ready to talk to her about whatever was going on, he would.  </p><p> </p><p>Vegeta entered the ship and turned the gravity controls up to 400 times Earth’s gravity. He began to go through the motions of his usual training routine, but couldn’t quite stay focused. He felt his face harden, and his eyebrows pulled together in frustration. He fired energy blasts at the drones that buzzed around him in the familiar formation. His breathing wouldn’t slow and his heart raced, but not from the training or the gravity. </p><p>He couldn’t get his father’s face out of his mind. He saw him down on his knees, kneeling before Freiza like a coward. Surrendering his son to be enslaved by Freiza like he meant nothing to him only for their home to be destroyed anyways. His fury began to burn stronger. He began to hear Freiza’s voice echoing in his mind.</p><p>“<em> Fight back, little prince! If you want to live, that is!” </em>Vegeta could hear his maniacal laugh as if it were in the room with him. It was almost as if he was back in the past. Sweat ran down his face. Freiza’s voice was suddenly coming from every corner of the room, taunting him from every direction.</p><p>“No! You’re dead! Dead!” Vegeta screamed into the empty void. </p><p>“<em> No thanks to you! You couldn’t even defeat me yourself! If it wasn’t for Kakarot, you’d be dead too! You’re weak! Just like your pathetic father!” </em>Freiza’s memory taunted. </p><p>He screamed as he fired out more energy blasts, completely obliterating the drones. He fell to his knees and held his head in his hands. The tears stung as they rolled down his cheeks and crashed to the ground. His voice became hoarse as he wept. He slammed his fist into the ship’s floor, denting it with the force. </p><p>“Kakarot...damn you,” he finally said to himself. “I will become stronger. I will surpass you.” Vegeta picked himself up off the ground and wiped the tears from his face. “I will surpass you.”</p><p>Several hours had passed before he turned off the gravity. He had calmed down some, but he couldn’t get the past completely off his mind. He left the ship and stood outside on the lawn. As he stared up at the stars, he thought of the countless lives he had taken while he was under Freiza’s command; how many futures he snuffed out with his own fists. He wiped his face with his hands and shook his head. It was better if he forgot about those things. He thought about Bulma—would she still look at him the way she does if she understood the full extent of the atrocities he had committed? He sighed and looked back towards Capsule Corp. He reluctantly began towards the complex.</p><p> </p><p>Bulma was asleep at her desk when Vegeta appeared in the doorway. He sighed and quietly approached her. Her face was so peaceful. He reached his hand out and gently touched her face just as he had earlier. All she wanted was to become closer to him, just as he did. She was working diligently on her plans for the new gravity room even after he was a total dick to her. He wished he knew how to express what he was feeling to her more accurately. </p><p>He decided he was done running away from questions he didn’t want to answer. He knew he was changing, and allowing himself to run away from questions just because they brought back those memories was weak. As difficult as he knew it would be, Vegeta vowed to never run away from Bulma’s questions again. He would become strong for her. </p><p>Vegeta carefully picked Bulma up out of her desk chair and laid her down on her bed, covering her with the blanket that was rumpled up at the bottom. As he turned to go turn off her light, she rolled over and began mumbling in her slumber. </p><p>“Vegeta…” she whispered. </p><p>He stopped in his tracks and looked back towards her, thinking he had woken her. She was still fast asleep. </p><p>“<em> Is she having a nightmare about me?” </em>  he thought, and his heart sank. He looked at her face for another moment and realized she looked peaceful. “ <em> Perhaps...a dream…” </em></p><p>Vegeta felt his chest get tight. He did not deserve to be in the peaceful dreams of such an innocent creature. Yet somehow he was. He looked at her for another moment, before turning off the light and quietly leaving her chamber.</p><p>He walked up the hallway and entered his own room. It felt cold, lonely and baron. This was still five star accommodations compared to what the prince was accustomed to. He changed out of his clothes into some baggy sweatpants and layed on top of his bed. As he closed his eyes, he thought of Bulma’s peaceful face and how she whispered his name. Her look of determination as she scribbled her ideas on her desk. He thought about how he disrespected her over his own weakness. He knew he would need to make it up to her. </p><p>“I’m sorry…” he whispered.</p><p>He slowly drifted off to sleep with Bulma’s face on his mind. </p><p> </p><p>The sound of Freiza’s maniacal laughter and desperate screams echoed in his nightmares; images of fire and destruction taunting him. His father kneeling at the foot of Freiza’s throne. </p><p> </p><p>It would be another restless night for the saiyan prince. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter!<br/>Going forward there will likely be longer gaps in between chapters, as I am trying to make sure my depiction of what Vegeta is working through is accurate and well fleshed out.<br/>If you want, you can follow my Twitter for art and other Vegebul nonsense while you wait :) @pom_miilk</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Closer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A silent feud has broken out between Vegeta and Bulma, and Bulma is determined to get to the bottom of it.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all for being so patient for the new chapter! Holidays and such made it difficult to find time to finish it, but hopefully this one is worth the wait. Thank you all for reading, and see you in 2021!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> What Happened? </em>
</p><p>Bulma thought to herself as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Despite Vegeta giving her the cold shoulder lately, she and Dr. Brief continued to work diligently on the new indoor gravity room. <em> Things were going so well...we even kissed! Now he avoids me like I have the plague! I guess it doesn’t matter what planet they're from, all men are flaky! </em>Bulma thought she was imagining things at first, but after the whole week she was sure Vegeta had been avoiding her. </p><p>They had crossed paths a few times throughout the week, but they never said a word to each other. They would walk past each other in the hallway and he would avoid eye contact. She’d walk into the kitchen just as he was leaving--he said nothing. She even thought about going straight up to him and calling him out, but the one time she went to his room, he wasn’t there. Now she just puts all her frustration into working on the gravity room. Only to go unappreciated by yet another spiky haired man! </p><p>“Ugh!!” she grunted as she picked up the pace on her work, grabbing some wire cutters from her tool belt. </p><p>“Bulma dear, why don’t you take a break? You’ve been at it for hours,” her father called from across the room. She jumped and hit her head on the panel she was working on. She had been so caught up in her thoughts, she forgot he was working on the gravity room too. “Go get some lunch or something, I can take it from here!” </p><p>“Dad, I’m fine! I’m almost done with the circuits on this--” Bulma started as she sat up to face him. He put his hand up to stop her as he walked closer. </p><p>“Not an option this time, dear. You’ve been working nonstop for days. You’re stressed, I can tell. Now take the rest of today and tomorrow off, I can take it from here. I need you at 100%,” He placed his hand on her shoulder and adjusted his thick rimmed glasses. “Maybe...you can talk to Vegeta, that might help you feel better.” Bulma’s mouth fell open in shock. </p><p>“V-Vegeta?! Dad, what the--” she scoffed. </p><p>“Just a suggestion dear. Now go on, I’m getting back to work. We’re still only getting started here, don’t feel like you have to rush back.” Dr. Brief winked at her and swiftly returned to his work. Bulma felt her cheeks get red. That was...embarrassing. Since her parents lived on the opposite side of the complex from her, she sometimes forgot they lived together at all. That combined with how nosey they were, it makes sense that they would at least be aware of...whatever was going on with Vegeta. Bulma picked herself up off the floor and took her dad’s advice. She could use a cigarette anyways. </p><p>What <em> was </em> going on with Vegeta, anyways? Bulma pondered on it as she went out back to the garage area. She leaned against the wall and pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her back pocket. She lit her cigarette and took a long inhale. She exhaled and looked across the lawn at the ship. Vegeta was unsurprisingly training inside, probably pushing the gravity too far as usual. Her eyebrows pulled together, and she scoffed and looked away at the clouds as the slowly drifted overhead. Things were going great with Vegeta for a while. She felt like he was finally getting comfortable around her, and then <em> that kiss </em>. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about it. After all that he just goes back to being a training obsessed jerk! Like it meant nothing to him! </p><p>“You’re the one that kissed me!” she grumbled as she took another drag on her cigarette. She knew there was something there...she wasn’t exactly sure what it was, but she wasn’t going to let it go that easily. She knew he felt something...he must have, right? Why would he kiss her like that if he didn’t feel anything? Why would he hold his hand up to her’s and call her “equal?” Why would he sit on her window sill and touch her cheek so gently if there was nothing there? Now all he does is eat, sleep, and train in complete solitude. He’s withdrawn so much...she couldn’t help but worry about him. Even if he was being a total space-jerk. </p><p>Just then, she heard the automatic door on the ship open. Her heart rate increased as she watched Vegeta exit the ship, wiping his face with a towel. Bulma tucked herself behind the wall, slightly out of view and peered over at the Saiyan prince. His shirtless chest glistened slightly in the sun’s rays, and Bulma caught herself staring. Why did he have to be so sexy, she was still mad at him! Just then, he looked in her direction, and made eye contact. Her heart stopped for a moment as she felt his eyes pierce directly in with hers.  </p><p>“Shit!” Bulma squeaked as she ducked behind the corner out of view. He definitely saw her. In a way she was hoping he would come over to her and talk to her, and her heart fluttered. She peered around the corner again, and saw that he was gone. Her mouth fell open. “That jerk!” she grunted as she threw her cigarette on the ground and stepped on it. </p><p><em> This isn’t fair! He can’t just run like that! Was it something I said? Something I asked? </em> Bulma thought for a moment about what she could have done to make him upset. She remembered the last time they hung out together, she asked about his training before Earth. She recalled him getting quiet and leaving without answering her question...and she’s barely talked to him since. Was talking about his past that sensitive of a subject? Could that be the reason he was so withdrawn? </p><p>Bulma stepped out from behind the corner. She wasn’t going to let him run away for much longer. If he wouldn’t give her the opportunity to talk, she was going to create one. She began walking towards the ship, making sure the wire cutters on her tool belt were in hand. </p><p> </p><p>* * * *</p><p>    Vegeta had failed. </p><p>    He told himself he wouldn’t run away from difficult questions, yet there he was, running away with his tail between his legs from any and all interaction with the woman...therefore, he had failed <em> and </em> he was a coward. At first, he just didn’t know what to say. He wanted to apologize for being distant, but was afraid of having to go into detail about <em> why. </em> He couldn’t admit to her that he was still being haunted by memories of his past. She probably would run away from him if she knew the full extent of the atrocities he had committed. Now, he just avoided the confrontation all together, like a pathetic weakling.</p><p>    What had become of the Saiyan prince? He felt the guilt weigh on his shoulders, just as the 450 times gravity pushed on him during his training. He was just wrapping up his current set while he subconsciously kept an eye on Bulma’s energy. Even though he knew she was just in the building next door, he found comfort in just knowing she was somewhere nearby. He then felt a tinge of guilt in his chest.</p><p>Vegeta wondered what she would say if he gave her the chance to talk to him. He had gone out of his way to avoid the woman, going so far as to exit his room through the window to avoid her confrontation. She must want answers. Knowing how stubborn she was, that must be a fact. He powered the ship’s gravity down, and let out a sigh. His infatuation with this Earthling was becoming distracting. His plateau was as present as ever, and waiting for the new gravity room’s construction was agonizing. He still hadn’t reached Super Saiyan. The clock was ticking on the androids’ arrival. Kakarot was surely out there ascending even further. Yet, despite everything, all he could think about was her. </p><p>    He took his towel and exited the ship, wiping his face as the sun beat down on him. As he walked outside, he instantly felt her presence nearby, as he expected. It was as if the fates were taunting him. He refused to let her know how much control she had over him. He looked in her direction, and caught her gaze. He held it for a moment, the burning desire to get closer filling his chest. She quickly ducked behind the wall, hiding herself from him. He chuckled at the sight of her spying on him. She was a strange creature indeed. As much as he desired to get close to her again, just as they had before, he held back. </p><p>    “It’s for the best,” he whispered before taking flight. He had to get away for a bit to clear his head. He’d return later to continue his training after a few hours away from the nearby distractions. </p><p> </p><p>It was 10:00pm and Bulma was laying on her bed flipping through a magazine when Vegeta burst through the door. </p><p>“Alright, I’ve had it! You’re toying with me, woman!” he belted upon entrance. She tried to hide the smirk on her face as she stood up to face him. Things were going according to plan. She should have disabled the gravity on the ship days ago. </p><p>“Why, whatever do you mean?” she questioned as innocently as possible. </p><p>    “Do not play dumb, woman. You and I both know you are the smartest Earthling on this planet, therefore you and I both know EXACTLY what I’m talking about,” Vegeta’s tone was fierce. Bulma couldn’t help but let out a snicker, and attempted to hide it with a cough. She cocked her head at him, and shrugged in response. Vegeta closed the gap between them and let out a low growl as he glared at her. He hadn’t been this close to her since that night but he was too furious to let her sweet scent distract him. </p><p>    “You dare test the Prince of all Saiyans? You think I would go easy on you?” He said, low and intimidatingly. Unfortunately, Bulma was left unphased. </p><p>    “I certainly hope you wouldn’t,” she retorted. They stared at each other intensely, neither one backing down from the other. Despite the prince’s clear anger with the situation, Bulma wouldn’t budge. She simply smiled at him smugly while he waited for an explanation. Vegeta finally broke the silence.</p><p>“You. Ship. Now,” he fumed as he took her by the arm and dragged her outside. </p><p> </p><p>It was nearly pitch black in the ship aside from the moonlight beaming through the windows as Vegeta and Bulma entered. He stomped over to the control panel and gestured towards it. Bulma leaned against the ship’s wall. </p><p>“Turn it back on,” Vegeta demanded. Bulma lightly tapped her forefinger on her chin in thought. She then looked back at him, and smirked.</p><p>“I’m sorry, turn what back on exactly?”</p><p>“Dammit, woman. The <em> gravity that you disabled, </em>I am no fool. The gravity was working perfectly fine before I left earlier, and you know I caught you spying on me back there! I command you to turn it back on, now!” Vegeta furrowed his brow in anger and looked back at Bulma. He was infuriated about this woman daring to block him from his training. Was she mad? Deliberately distracting him from his training like that? He wanted to remain angry, but there was a small part of him that knew he had this coming. He should have known she would go this far to trap him. He did not like her having something over him like this. </p><p>Bulma stood up straight and put her hands on her hips as she spoke, “No way, homeboy! First of all, I don’t take commands from anybody. Now, maybe I’ll help fix your gravity problem if you quit running away and talk to me! You never even give me the chance to get close before you run away, so I had to create one.”</p><p>Vegeta clenched his teeth and exhaled sharply. He swiftly stomped over to her, leaning on the wall with one arm over her. He couldn’t hide his scowl. “Fine, you wish to talk? Well, start talking.” </p><p>Bulma gasped slightly when he approached. Her heartbeat stuttered for a moment, but she wouldn’t back down. His eyebrows were pulled together as he stared at her, waiting for an explanation. She thought about being blatantly honest, but she didn’t want to make him angrier than he already was. She knew deep down she wanted to ask him why he’s been so distant...if he really had feelings for her or if that kiss was a fluke. She was honestly nervous about his answer. She swallowed and stood up straight, and looked back at him as she spoke. </p><p>“I’m sorry that I disabled the gravity. I know it was extreme, but I didn’t know how else to get you to talk to me. Vegeta...I just want to get closer to you. We were having some seriously intense moments...with the chopsticks, with the laundry. I...I thought you felt something too. Then you stood up for me against my stupid ex-boyfriend...and then that kiss...I was sure of it. We finally started getting closer and then you just dropped me like a rock!” She paused for a moment to catch her breath, “I just want to know you...but if there’s things you can’t talk about just tell me...I don’t want us to stop..whatever this is.” </p><p>Vegeta was paralyzed. The anger he felt began to dissipate and transform into a magnetic pull, and the burning feeling in his chest began to resurface. He knew the truth was he wanted to be close to her, too. She’s been on his mind basically every moment they’ve been apart. She’s been distracting him from his training just by existing in close proximity. Every time they passed each other silently in the halls was agonizing. He thought distancing himself from her would help, but he didn’t even consider the fact that she would be this concerned. He thought of her face, peacefully sleeping as she whispered his name. He let out his breath and lowered his guard once more. </p><p>“Bulma…” he started. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling for the woman. He had never felt anything like it before in his life. Having somebody care for him the way this earthling seemed to was new. “Bulma I...I have had a complicated life. Most of it has been full of blood and fear. I have never known a life of peace before.” He stopped, his eyebrows pulled together as he tried to gather his words. Bulma sighed, and raised a gentle hand to his face. </p><p>“You don’t have to tell me if you aren’t ready to talk about it. I just need to know...if there’s something between us?” Her cheeks burned red as she questioned the Saiyan prince. She looked at him, his eyes full of worry and confusion. She stroked his hardened face with her thumb. His hand rose and took hers gently in his. He finally spoke as he looked back into her eyes. </p><p>“In my life...I haven’t experienced anything like whatever it is that’s between us. It is frustrating, distracting, and honestly infuriating at times.” He let out a sigh as he spoke. “Despite this, I can’t help but admit that though these new feelings I’ve experienced are completely new to me,” He looked away as his cheeks grew ever so slightly rosy. “I will admit that those feelings haven’t been entirely unpleasant.”</p><p>Bulma looked at the Saiyan’s face as he spoke to her. His expression softened, and she couldn’t help but notice again how handsome he was in the moonlight. She should have known that this kind of thing was new for him. It was all beginning to make sense to her. Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her face. Her heartbeat increased as she whispered, “My feelings...aren’t unpleasant either.”</p><p>Before he had the chance to speak, she pulled his face into hers, connecting their lips for the second time. She tightened her grip on his neck and leaned into his body, melding perfectly against it. After a moment of hesitation, Vegeta wrapped his arms around her, one hand on her back, one sliding down her lower back. He squeezed her body, pulling her as close as he could to her as their lips moved together. She parted his lips with her tongue as he let her into him, breathing her in simultaneously. Her fingers locked into his hair tightly, her other hand exploring his back. She could feel his perfectly sculpted muscles down his spine, and her own body reacted with pleasure. She wanted to be as close to him as she could. She wanted him.</p><p>He pushed her back against the wall and kissed her harder. She tugged on his hair and a low growl left his throat. Vegeta picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips. One of his hands found its way up the back of her shirt as she pressed her breasts against his chest. Their breathing got heavier. He pulled his lips away from hers and began to kiss down her neck and onto her collar bone. Bulma let out a moan and tugged on his hair again. Vegeta groaned as she pulled on him, his heartbeat increasing more than before. He held her to his body as he effortlessly flew them backwards, sitting her down on the control panel. Both his hands were now free to explore her more thoroughly, which he couldn’t resist. Every part of her felt amazing under his hand. He wanted nothing more than to kiss every part of her, memorize every square inch of her body.</p><p>His hands found their way around her figure; he was amazed that any creature’s skin could be so soft. She released her grasp on his hair to guide his hands to her breasts, and he gasped slightly when he felt them. They were even more amazing than he had dreamed of. It was as if her breasts were perfectly sized to fit into his hands. Her nipples were soft and delicate, he touched them gently and watched how she reacted. </p><p>“Oh, Vegeta…” she groaned as he explored. Suddenly, it was as if a primal instinct had taken over him. Effortlessly, he tore her bra away from her body, throwing it to the ground. She barely had a moment to react before Vegeta had pulled her shirt down, revealing her chest. He felt the blood rush to his head when he finally saw them—her breasts were the most perfect things he had ever laid eyes on. They were full and sat perfectly on her chest. Her skin was smooth and soft, her nipples the same shade of pink has her lips. He smiled to himself as shortly after his lips found her breasts. Her legs wrapped around him again in approval, pulling herself closer to him. </p><p>“Vegeta…” Bulma moaned again. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she pulled him closer to her. His tongue finally tickled her nipples gently one after the other. His hands feeling around her upper body simultaneously. He kissed her on her collar bones, and on her neck, eventually finding his way back up to her face, pressing his forehead against hers. He pulled her shirt back over her chest, and put his hands on her waist as he caught his breath. Bulma’s breathing was heavy, and her burning desire for him was stronger than ever. She didn’t want him to stop, but she didn’t want to push him either. It took a moment before either of them spoke. </p><p>“I wish to know you too, Bulma.” Vegeta finally said between heavy breaths. The two sat in silence under the beams of moonlight peaking through the ship’s windows. Eventually, Bulma laughed. Vegeta looked at her, puzzled.</p><p>“I should disable the gravity more often,” she laughed. Vegeta looked up at her, a slight grimace on his face. Bulma laughed again, “Don’t be so grumpy, I was joking. I’ll have your gravity up and operational tomorrow, okay?” </p><p>“Yes, good,” he replied, attempting to compose himself. The blood didn’t seem to leave his cheeks as his heart rate eventually returned to normal. After a moment of thought, he cleared his throat before speaking again, “I’ve decided.”</p><p>“Decided what?” Bulma questioned. </p><p>“I wish to do that again sometime,” Vegeta stated plainly. Bulma snorted and laughed. Vegeta looked puzzled, “Did you not enjoy it? Based on your reaction I assumed you did,”</p><p>“Yes dummy, I enjoyed it,” Bulma giggled, “We can definitely do it again. Just promise me something, okay?”</p><p>“A saiyan makes no promises, but I will hear you out.”</p><p>“Don’t be distant like that again, okay? I want to stay close to you…” Bulma said nervously. After something <em> that </em> intense she knew he at least had some of the same feelings towards her as she did for him. The tension she was feeling was finally relieved, and she didn’t want it returning anytime soon. Vegeta pushed her blue hair out of her face as he thought. After a moment, he settled on a response.</p><p>“I cannot promise you that there will not be times where I must leave for my training...ascending to Super Saiyan is the most important thing in my life...but I will tell you when I must become distant, or if I must leave, ” Vegeta promised, “and that I will always return to you.” Bulma smiled warmly. She leaned forward and kissed him softly, then took him into a tight hug. His arms wrapped around her waist. She sighed as he held her. </p><p>“Not exactly what I meant but I’ll take it.”</p><p>The two held each other for a long moment, taking in all of the emotion they had released. It was a strange arrangement, but they both knew they couldn’t stay away from each other any longer. For the first time in his life, the Prince of all Saiyans had let somebody into his heart. It was new, and it was terrifying, but he would no longer resist.</p><p>His heart burned with desire for this woman. For Bulma. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Beast</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Vegeta is being tortured by memories from his past when Bulma is put in a dangerous situation.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy 2021! I’m so sorry it took so long to come out with this chapter! This past month has been very busy for me with work and family things, so I’m sorry if I had to waiting for too long! I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks again for sticking with me and reading :) <br/>(Btw, you can follow me on twitter if you want! @hotvegetasoup for DBZ content and fanfic updates!)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Chapter 8: The Beast</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Father, no!” Vegeta cried out as tears began to well up in his eyes, “Please, I don’t want to go! Father!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>King Vegeta didn’t bat an eye at his desperate, pleading son while he and a dark silhouette continued to negotiate. The mysterious man’s soldiers took the young prince by the arms and dragged him away as he struggled. The tears flowed down his face, blurring his vision as he looked upon his father for the final time. Prince Vegeta knew that someday he would leave the Saiyan palace to join his fellow warriors on the battlefield, but not like this. Not for </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He felt betrayal. He didn’t even get to say goodbye to his mother. The tears burned as they slowly slid down his cheeks. His father didn’t look back at him as he cried out to him. He saw his father kneel to the silhouette of what he would later discover to be Lord Freiza. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His father’s face was emotionless and stern as he was dragged away. Something was off, though. He looked familiar; but didn’t look like his father. Vegeta shut his eyes tight and opened them again, but he was sure this time. The king wasn’t his father at all, but a perfect reflection of his own adult face. The king looked back at Vegeta, his lips curling up into a menacing grin—surly the same grin he had given to countless innocents throughout the galaxy. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re nothing but a weakling,” the reflection said to the prince. “Go on, cry. Cry like the weakling you are.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
  <em>
    <span>knock knock knock-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“N-no! I won’t be like him! Let me go!” he cried. His voice was no longer that of a child being torn away from his home, but of a jaded battle worn man being tortured by the past. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>-knock knock knock-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He could hear his cries echoing around him as he called out to his father once more. “Father, please! I don’t want to go! Please! Father!” suddenly, Vegeta was completely alone, surrounded by darkness. He heard nothing but his own frantic breathing. It was dark, and lonely.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-</span>
  <em>
    <span>knock knock- </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vegeta?” he heard a soft, familiar voice in the distance. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M-mother?” he desperately crawled towards the voice, but he didn’t seem to get anywhere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vegeta, are you awake? Vegeta?” the voice felt like it was fading away from him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mother, wait! There’s something I have to tell you!” he called out to her in the darkness, but heard no response. The sting of his hot tears pooling in his eyes was all he could feel as the lonely darkness consumed him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mom…” he wept alone in silence, trapped in his nightmare. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>****</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bulma gently knocked on the door to Vegeta’s room. He was sleeping later than usual, and she was getting impatient. Tonight, she was finally going to set up a date with her and Vegeta. She figured they could do something here at Capsule Corp to avoid being seen out in public. Society at large probably still saw Vegeta as an alien that tried to destroy the Earth. While that was indeed true, Bulma knew that Vegeta had changed since then. Her heart fluttered thinking about him. Yamucha hadn’t even crossed her mind since their last confrontation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Even though intimate moments with Vegeta have been few, they were powerful. She was enjoying just spending more time with him. The indoor gravity room was still under construction and lately after his training sessions Vegeta had been joining her to keep her company while she finished her work. They would usually have dinner together, and sometimes they would go back to the ship for more privacy, like last time. She got chills just thinking about it. They hadn’t gone all the way yet, but just remembering his lips on hers, and his hands exploring her body have her feeling butterflies. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As she knocked on Vegeta’s door, she thought about the date she had planned for them. She figured they could cook dinner like normal, and she could show him one of her favorite movies—Beauty and the Beast. Since it was a musical, she was curious if he would enjoy the music. She also figured after the movie she would invite him back to her room for the night. She shook off her jitters and knocked on Vegeta’s door again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Vegeta? Vegeta, are you awake?” she called out as she pressed her ear against the door. After a moment with no response, she slowly cracked the door open and peeked inside. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His room was very plain, basically the exact same as when he moved in. The room was originally a guest bedroom with very basic accommodations. Even though her family told him he could decorate however he wanted, he just left the room as is. The drapes were pulled shut, blocking out the late morning sun. There was a basket on the ground with some of his training clothes tossed on the floor nearby. on his desk sat the armor she had made him—it already looked like he was due for a new set. He laid on top of the covers of his bed, shirtless and on his stomach. His pillow was pulled on top of his head. Bulma giggled quietly and entered his room. She quietly picked up the clothes from the floor and tossed them in the laundry basket. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bulma turned towards the sleeping prince, and thought about Sleeping Beauty. Except instead of a beautiful princess asleep in front of her, it was a battle worn alien prince. Maybe she would write a fairy tale about Vegeta someday. She smiled at the thought. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Vegeta suddenly turned over as he slept, pushing the pillow away from his face. His hardened expression revealed to Bulma that he was not sleeping soundly. She noticed his breathing had gotten heavier. She gently sat down at the foot of his bend. Would it be a good idea to wake him up? It was already so late, and by the look on his face he was having a bad dream. She leaned slightly closer to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Vegeta? Vegeta, wake up,” she whispered. His eyebrows were still pulled together, and his breathing was heavy. Her heart began to sink. She gently placed her hand on his leg, and shook him slightly, “Vegeta, wake up! You’re dreaming! Vegeta?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span> As Vegeta slept, he couldn’t feel Bulma’s touch. He could hear echoes of laughter mocking him from every direction. “Weakling! Vegeta! Weakling!” He felt power inside of his chest begin to surge. He still had his pride. He was the honorable Prince of all Saiyans, and he refused to be called a weakling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Vegeta!” He felt something touch him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Just then, a jolt of electricity surged from inside of the sleeping prince. It was as if pure, unfiltered anger was released on whatever the first thing in front of him was. He didn’t even have a chance to realize what was happening before it was already too late. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The sound of the blast was deafening, though the ringing in her ears was the last thing on her mind. The debris from the destroyed wall blasted out behind her, some small pieces hitting her in the back. Her eyes were wide in shock, still processing what just happened. Vegeta instantly recognized what he had done. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Bulma! Bulma, I...I…” he stuttered. He quickly rose from his bed and pulled Bulma away from the crumbling wall behind her. He sat her on his desk and it his hands on her face. He tried to make eye contact with her, but she could only stare at the charred remains of the blasted wall that was too close to her own head. The ringing in her ears hadn’t subsided yet. She could tell Vegeta was trying to talk to her, but all she heard was ringing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father and mother rush into the room. Her mother gasped in shock at the sight of the wall, Dr. Brief joining Vegeta in checking on her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“What happened?” Dr. Brief questioned Vegeta as he inspected Bulma’s condition.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I...She…” Vegeta struggled to get the words out. “She woke me suddenly, and I didn’t…” The guilt began to set in. He looked back at the destruction he had caused to the room. If Bulma had been sitting just a few inches to the left…</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Vegeta shuttered. He slowly began to back away from them. Panchy gently placed her hand on his arm. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Vegeta, dear, we know you didn’t intend—“ Panchy attempted to comfort the clearly distraught prince.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“No...it could have...I could have…” Vegeta mumbled. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Dr. Brief turned slightly towards them. “It appears her injuries are minimal, just a couple small cuts from the debris,” he informed. The ringing in Bulma’s ears began to subside. She finally looked away from the wall and over to the Saiyan. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Vegeta…” Bulma started. Before she could finish her thought, Vegeta ran out of the room. The the front door slammed open, and they knew he was gone. Bulma’s parents turned their attention back to her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Bulma, dear, are you okay? What happened?” Dr. Brief questioned. Panchy walked closer and hugged her daughter. Bulma took a moment to gather her thoughts, and cleared her throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“I...I came to see if Vegeta was awake, and it looked like he was having a nightmare...I tried to wake him up and I guess out of instinct he...he…” she couldn’t finish her sentence. What in the world was he dreaming of to trigger him like that? She felt the guilt setting in. She began to realize what was going on with Vegeta. Dr. Brief quickly began to come to the same conclusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Based on that, I believe he may be suffering from some form of PTSD. He’s likely been having nightmares about some sort of trauma he suffered in the past,” he informed, “Vegeta will return in due time, dear. Let’s just give him some space. For now, let’s get you cleaned up and taken care of.” Her father took her hand and helped her off the desk. They exited the room, each taking another glance at the blast that so easily could have been Bulma’s end. They all knew Vegeta wasn’t trying to hurt Bulma on purpose, but they also knew how dangerously close he was to doing just that. It certainly was the elephant in the room, but nobody acknowledged it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Bulma thought of Vegeta’s tortured expression just before waking him. What was taunting him while he slept? Her heart felt like it was getting squeezed, and tears welled in her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span> to Vegeta?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>To be continued...</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
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